By Megan Lambert (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 11, 2015
If you’re stuck in an unexpected financial situation, UFV faculty and staff have you covered.
In a recent presentation about the UFV Lifesaver campaign, the advancement officer for special gifts and stewardship, Sheila Reimer, said about 150 faculty and staff donate a percentage of their pay.
“They make regular payroll deductions,” she said, “so every paycheque, employees are giving $5, $10, [or] $50, depending on their level of generosity.”
That money goes straight into a student emergency fund which students can access via the financial aid office in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Reimer noted that last year, the fund helped a student continue studying at UFV after a house fire, as well as a couple of students who were homeless.
“It’s pretty shocking,” she said. “You have that internal crisis where suddenly you’re faced with additional expenses.”
To encourage UFV staff to donate, Reimer explained the campaign relies on existing donors to reach out to others at UFV functions. Most notably, she asked faculty and staff donors to wear life preserver jackets at the Welcome Back Staff and Faculty BBQ in August.
“The reason for the success is really due to the visibility,” Reimer said.
This kind of outreach enabled the campaign to reach a 2014-15 goal of $30,000 raised — a 50 per cent increase from last year’s $20,000.
The campaign also reaches out to alumni and community members, and teams up with local businesses to sponsor events.
Certain items in the cafeteria, like cinnamon buns or the Lifesaver burger, are a source of revenue as well, since a percentage of the profits go to the campaign. Sodexo’s contract ends in two years, which may mean an end to that particular source, but Reimer says it’s not completely clear Sodexo will leave.
“I can’t really say what would happen, but the success we’re seeing with Sodexo is certainly encouraging,” she says. Reimer adds that UFV Advancement is establishing a coffee program in the near future, possibly by encouraging the use of reusable mugs over paper cups, with the cup cost going toward the campaign. However, this has not been finalized.
